Please, Don't Make Me Choose
by ThanagarianAmazon
Summary: Regina is with Emma, the Evil Queen is with Maleficent. What will happen when the two become one again? *This fic ignores Hook (nothing against the character) and deviates from the season 6 storyline* **DragonSwanQueen** (Also note a slight mention of non-graphic rape in chapter 1)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Regina was standing in her kitchen, waiting for her girlfriend to get home. She and Henry had already eaten and her son was already in bed asleep.

She looked at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time since Emma texted her saying she had gotten a call just before she was about to head home. The brunette was always on edge whenever Emma had to work late nights. A part of her knew that her worry was unfounded. Emma was more than capable of taking care of herself, but since coming to the realization of just how much the younger woman meant to her, Regina had become much more conscious of girlfriend's safety.

Finally, at around 10:00, Regina heard Emma's bug drive up in their driveway. At the familiar sound, her body relaxed and a large smile formed on her face. She instantly made her way to the front door and greeted the sheriff as she walked through the door.

"About time you got home." she smirked as she kissed Emma lightly before helping her take off her red leather jacket.

"Sorry, I'm so late," Emma spoke while averting her eyes from the brunette's gaze. "There was a fight at the Rabbit Hole. Took awhile to calm everyone down."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Not unless you count Leroy's pride," Emma said with a chuckle. "You should have seen the look on his face after Bashful punched him. Who knew he had it in him?"

"Yes, who knew?" Regina was only half listening as Emma spoke. She was much more concerned about why the blonde would not meet her eyes. "Did anything else happen tonight, darling?"

"Kinda yeah." Emma finally looked at her, yet Regina still worried as she saw uncertainty reflected in those hazel eyes. The sheriff bit her lip nervously before continuing, "I want to ask you something and please be honest with me?"

"Always Baby." Regina placed her arms, comfortingly around Emma's waist. "Besides, I've already learned not to try to outsmart your superpower."

The blonde smiled slightly at the joke but then frowned once more. "Gold, he wasn't the only teacher you had a thing for, was he?"

The mayor's brow furrowed at the question, "What?"

"On my way to the bar, I passed the queen and Maleficent. They looked like they were heading to Mal's place...and they were kissing." The last part of Emma's statement came out in a whisper.

"Oh," now it was Regina's who avoided eye contact. "Of course they were."

"You two were an item in the Enchanted Forest, weren't you?"

The brunette's cheeks darkened as she nodded.

Emma took the mayor's hand and lead them towards the living room. "Why didn't you ever tell me about you and Mal," she asked while sitting them both on the couch.

"I honestly wasn't sure how you'd take it."

The blonde placed her hand on Regina's knee, prompting her girlfriend to look at her. "I just want you to be honest with me Angel. I promise I'm not jealous or anything, I just don't want you to feel you need to hide things from me."

She took a deep breath as her mind filled with the memories of her past. "When I finally got Maleficent to agree to teach me some of her magic I started spending as much time as possible with her. At first, she was a mentor, then she became a friend, and then one day I realized, she was my sanctuary, my safe place. She never expected me to be perfect, never yelled or berated me when I made a mistake.

"One night we just started talking, drinking, laughing. Then before I knew it she was kissing me." Regina smiled as she said that. "Mal was the first person since Daniel who made me feel beautiful and cared for. That night she became my cariña," she saw Emma raise her brow at the word. "It means sweetheart. She wouldn't let me call her that so I used the Spanish word instead, she thought it sounded sexier." Regina smirked before another thought came to her mind. "She was also…"

"Also?" Emma squeezed her knee, urging the brunette to continue.

"She was a welcomed relief from the king," Regina whispered with a grimace.

The sheriff then placed her arms around her lover and pulled her closer to her own body so that Regina's head rested on her shoulder. Emma was grateful that she had never met the man. Family or not, he made Regina's life so much more miserable than it already had been.

Regina had told Emma about her loveless marriage. Leopold may have been a kind king and a loving father, but he was also a fifty-year-old man that asked a seventeen-year-old girl's hand in marriage. He only ever touched her on their wedding night, the worst night of Regina's life. As she felt his hands over her body she remembered her mother saying it was what a good wife did, so she did her best to cry or scream as it was happening.

After that night, when Leopold declared their marriage official, she spent every night, gratefully, alone. Although, whenever in the public eye the king would insist that Regina stay by his side to maintain appearances. She remembered cringing every time he held her by her waist. The young queen had felt nothing but hatred for the man she was forced to marry and she cursed every moment she was forced to spend in his presence.

After learning of her maternal grandfather, Emma was actually glad to hear that Regina had him killed in such a painful manner. No one was allowed to hurt Regina. No one was allowed to hurt the woman she loved. If he were still alive, the blonde would probably have ended his life herself.

Regina relaxed as soon as her body was pulled into her lover's comforting touch.

Her frown disappeared as she felt soft lips press lovingly against her forehead. After she took a moment to simply enjoy the feeling of being in the blonde's arms, the mayor pulled back just enough to look Emma in the eye. "Mal...she made me feel special. Like Daniel had. Like _you_ do now."

Emma grinned, "You are special Regina." She placed another kiss to Regina's head, "So how long did you two date?"

"Years. Eventually, our _careers_ got in the way. We remained close until I cast the curse and then, well you know what happened…I still feel tremendous guilt for what I did to her." Regina's voice wavered.

Emma tried to comfort her by running her hair through the other woman's hair, a gesture that always helped to calm the mayor down.

"Why did you trap her?" Emma asked cautiously, not wanting to upset Regina more.

"She wanted to stop me. I was too blinded by my own thirst for vengeance that I couldn't see that she was trying to help me, not hurt me."

"Well, she's obviously forgiven you if she feels comfortable enough to be with the queen."

"Yes...I...I know that she has since forgiven me." Regina looked away once more as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

Emma smiled, thinking that her girlfriend looked so adorable whenever she blushed. She gently took hold of Regina's chin and guided her eyes back to hers. "It's okay Angel. As long as you feel comfortable with it, you can tell me anything and I promise I won't get upset."

Regina relaxed under Emma's soft gaze, "After you told Mal about Lily and how you knew her, she came to me crying. She was feeling this mixture of relief due to knowing her daughter was still alive, and guilt for not being able to be there for her growing up.

"I held her as tight as I could while she cried. After a while, I started wiping away her tears and got lost in her blue eyes just like I used to...then I kissed her. One thing led to another and well...it was only that one night before you and I left for New York. After that, I kept my distance so that she could spend time with Lily."

"So, not too long before you and I got together?" Emma said while they both started to get lost in the memory of how they started dating.

Robin had changed once they returned to Storybrooke. He was now mourning his late wife for the second time and with the knowledge of being with Regina's sister, things just did not feel right between the former queen and the thief anymore. Within a week of their return, he told Regina that he needed a fresh start. The mayor was hurt but she agreed that nothing more could come from their relationship.

Not long after her breakup, Regina started talking to her sister, a large part of her wanting to salvage any relationship she could with the redhead. Zelena was, after all, her last blood family member, plus the brunette wished to be in the life of her future niece or nephew. Things between the two sisters began to strengthen when the symptoms of Zelena's pregnancy started to kick in. The redhead found herself going to her younger sister more often, wanting someone, anyone, to care for her during that time.

With so much going on around her, Regina found herself being overwhelmed and began going to Emma for distractions. One distraction led to the two of them cuddled up on Regina's couch while the blonde introduced her to "Imagine You & Me." Emma started holding the brunette, stroking her hair comfortably. Regina allowed herself to relax into Emma's arms.

Once the movie ended neither felt like moving, so the sheriff continued her ministrations in the brunette's hair, while they talked softly to each other. Regina, eventually, looked up at the blonde and saw her green eyes gazing lovingly into her own. The mayor found herself leaning into Emma more, as she placed her lips onto the blonde's. Emma didn't hesitate in returning the kiss that Regina gave her, relieved that the brunette cared for her in the same way that she secretly had for years. Since then the two had spent nearly every night together.

They kept their relationship secret from everyone, except Henry, until Emma sacrificed herself for Regina and became the Dark One. It was their true love's kiss that finally broke the curse over Emma and it also proved to everyone that the two were perfect for each other.

"Yes," Regina replied going back to their conversation while looking at her lover. She could easily tell that despite Emma not being upset with her about her past with Mal, the blonde's insecurities were beginning to creep up. Emma always thought of herself as being unworthy of the former queen, no matter how much Regina told her otherwise.

The mayor gave Emma a soft, loving kiss before speaking. "I love you, Emma Swan." She placed her hand on her girlfriend's cheek as she talked. "Maleficent was my past. You are my present and my future."

"I love you too Regina," she gave the brunette a small grin. "But, be honest, do you still care for her like you used to?" Emma stared at Regina, waiting for her lover to speak.

Regina was quiet for a minute trying to figure out how to tell the truth while also conveying her love for the woman sitting in front of her.

"I do," she finally spoke, "but Emma, please know that while I do care for her, you and Henry are all I need to be happy."

Emma held the brunette's gaze before leaning in to kiss her tenderly, hoping to show just how much Regina meant to her with that kiss.

"I'm sorry for asking all this Angel. I guess I saw the queen and Mal together and just started...freaking out a little. I'm really not jealous that you still have feelings for her but, I don't know how I would ever move on if you decided to leave me." Emma whispered while she pulled herself closer to Regina, practically feeding off the woman's comforting warmth.

Regina shook her head and stroked Emma's arm. "You have nothing to apologize for Baby. And you needn't worry about me ever leaving you, I would be breaking my own heart if I did."

Emma smiled and leaned her head against Regina's. The two took time to simply enjoying feeling the other in their arms.

"Now," Regina spoke after a few minutes, "how about dinner? I saved you a piece of lasagna."

"Actually, I'm thinking about skipping dinner tonight," Emma smirked as her hands traveled down to stroke Regina's hip.

"You hate skipping meals."

"Yeah I know, but I have something more important that I want to do right now." the blonde said while stroking her side.

"Oh," the brunette grinned, "and what would that be?"

"Take you up to our bed and show you just how much I love you."

Regina leaned in to kiss Emma passionately. "Lead the way Baby."

* * *

Since her arrival in Storybrooke, the queen had been staying with the blonde dragon that had stolen her heart so many years ago. There was a time when she would only ever consider herself to be truly safe if she was in Maleficent's presence. Now that she was being seen as the villain again, by her son and the rest of the town, she went to the blonde for safety once more. It had not taken long for those old flames to ignite between the two again.

When they had arrived at Mal's home that night, the dragon and her queen both quickly changed into more comfortable clothes since they were out of the public eye. The blonde wore black panties along with an oversized dark purple t-shirt which had a picture of Spike from My Little Pony on the front, a birthday gift from Regina, and the brunette changed into a pink silk nightie and wore red boy shorts underneath. Both had also let their hair loose so that their long tresses touched their backs and their faces had been cleaned of all traces of makeup. They then quickly found themselves lying on the Mal's couch, the brunette on top of the blonde, and kissing passionately.

"Why did we ever stop this?" the queen asked as she pulled away to take a breath.

"Because someone," Mal tapped the brunette on her nose making her scrunch her face adorably, "was too preoccupied with revenge and learning how to perform a certain dark curse."

"To be fair, you weren't much better...but I am still very sorry for what I did to you afterw…" the queen was interrupted when soft lips came up to meet hers once more.

"We have already talked about this Regina," she whispered in her lover's ear. "I no longer hold any anger towards you for what you did and you shouldn't either."

Instead of responding, the queen smiled at the use of her name, Mal was the only one in town that used it. She then snuggled further into the blonde's arms and tangled their legs together.

Whenever she was out in public, she felt as if she always had to maintain her evil persona. While she did still feel hatred toward Snow White for her betrayal, there were many times that the brunette simply wanted to relax, to be gentle and feel loved.

Maleficent gave her that opportunity. Around the dragon, she could simply be herself, without the elaborate outfits and sharp tongue. Instead, she could just curl up on the couch and melt into a pair of strong, loving arms.

Maleficent smiled down at the queen whose head now rested on her chest and placed a small kiss on her hair. She felt so grateful to be the one that got to see the queen in such a state. Her love for her former student had truly never wavered, even during her years of being imprisoned beneath the town, and it felt so right to be holding her again. Especially knowing that she didn't have to let go anytime soon.

The dragon looked down at the queen once more and noticed her brow was now creased. "What is it Poppet?"

She was also the only one who could get away with calling her that.

The brunette righted her features before looking up at Mal, "Did you see the look on the savior's face when she spotted us together? Priceless, was it not?" she smirked.

Mal saw past the look on her lover's face and ignored the question, "Do you really hate them? Emma and Regina I mean."

The brunette laughed a little at that, a laugh that her lover could tell was forced. "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"Perhaps because you're not as evil everyone believes you to be and that you and the other Regina possess the same large, loving heart, whether you want to admit it or not." Mal talked softly not wanting to upset the queen.

The younger woman raised herself up so that she could look into Mal's blue eyes and spoke with seriousness. "I'm not Regina, my heart is pure black compared to hers."

"And yet, here you are holding me just as gently as ' _Regina'_ did a few months ago."

A few moments of silence pass before the queen lowered herself once more and hid her face in her lover's shoulder.

"There may be a few similarities between us." she mumbled.

The dragon can't help the small giggle that escapes her. Regina was still just as adorable as she had always been. She placed another sweet kiss against her hair before tightening her hold more.

A large part of her wanted to continue to hold the woman just like that for the rest of the night, yet she needed to know the answer to a burning question that had been floating around in her head.

She took a deep breath to gather enough strength to ask. The movement causes the queen to pull back slightly once more.

"What's wrong?"

Maleficent ran her hand through the queen's long locks before locking her blue eyes to the chocolate brown ones. "I need to ask you a question Poppet. Please be honest with me?"

The queen nodded.

"Do you love Emma Swan?"

The brunette furrowed her brow "I love _you,_ Maleficent." she brought her hand up to the blonde's cheek, stroking her thumb over the warm skin. "You were my friend, my teacher, and the first woman that ever made my heart beat faster. I have always loved you and I always will."

"I know you love me, Regina." Mal lifted her head just enough to give her girlfriend a quick, soft kiss. "But that was not what I asked."

The queen sighed deeply, seeing the seriousness in Mal's eyes. She felt her heart constrict in her chest, knowing the truth could cost her, but she also knew better than to lie to her lover.

She slid her body off of Mal and onto the sofa below them and Mal shifted so that they laid facing one another.

"You know about the year we spent apart right? When I sent Henry and Emma to New York?" she continued when the blonde nodded. "After we all returned to Storybrooke, I was the one people turned on, thinking I was the only one that could possibly be responsible for their missing memories. Everyone was back to hating me, everyone except Emma.

"Before I was forced to send them away Emma and I were growing closer. I no longer saw her as someone who could steal my son from me, I was even beginning to see her as more of a friend. My only friend. So when I told her I had nothing to do with the missing year and she believed me, it meant the world to me. Things were just starting with Robin and that terrified me enough, I had just learned I had a sister that wanted to kill me, all that along with Henry not even knowing who I was...Emma was the only stable thing in my life at that point. I...I knew I could trust her. If was not too long afterward that I realized…" The queen trailed off, looking nervously at Mal as if afraid to continue.

"It's okay Poppet." the blonde brushed her hand over the brunette's side. "I only want you to be honest. I have no intention of ever letting you go, no matter what. But I do need to know if there is a chance of _you_ letting _me_ go."

"I realized I was falling in love with her." the queen whispered honestly. "I was just too afraid to say anything because I didn't want to risk our friendship in case she did not feel the same."

"Obviously she does." Mal dropped her eyes as she spoke.

"But that doesn't matter now my cariña." the younger woman spoke earnestly. "Now that I have you back...I was foolish once to put something else before the woman I loved. That is not a mistake I plan on making again. I am never leaving you Mal."

The dragon smiled as she leaned forward to press her forehead against her lover's. "Promise?"

"I promise." the queen said as she returned the smile and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman she had spent most of her life loving.

Mal allowed herself to relax into the queen's hold as a sigh of relief escaped her her. She brought her hand up to her lover's face before kissing her.

For two queens of darkness, both Maleficent and the Evil Queen both felt extremely light in that moment as they allowed their love for one another to flow freely.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Emma's day had started out great. She had woken up in Regina's arms. She had breakfast with the two most important people in her life. She kissed her girlfriend before both of them left for work and sent Henry off to school. Even her work at the station had been peaceful. Both the queen and Gideon had been quiet that day, so far anyway. She didn't even have to chase after any runaway dalmatians. With no distractions, she was able to get caught up on all her paperwork so Regina would not give her that signature "mayor glare" at the end of the month.

Emma Swan was actually having a good day. That was until she was walking to Granny's later on that afternoon and ran into Maleficent.

When the blondes saw one another they both stopped walking once they were a few feet apart and simply stared at each other for a few moments. It was the dragon that stepped forward and broke the silence. "I think we should talk."

The sheriff nodded and gestured to a nearby bench. The two sat on either side and turned to look at each other before Mal continued speaking.

"I think it's obvious that we both have the same problem, we're in love with the same woman."

"And she's in love with both of us," Emma tilted her head while looking at the older woman. "I want to ask you a question."

"Go on."

"You're with the queen, her darker half, but do you also love the lighter half? Back when you were running around with Ursula and Cruella, you didn't seem to care much for the hero in Regina."

"I had..." she took a deep breath to gather her thoughts, "other things on my mind at that time. That was my time to put revenge before my love, just as she did once. I'm not saying it was the right thing to do, but I could only think of finding out what happened to my child. Nothing else mattered."

"I get that, but…"

"To answer your question," Mal interrupted the sheriff, "I have always loved Regina, both light, and dark. When she first entered my castle, she had the beginnings of darkness in her, but she also had an air of innocence about her still." she smiled at the memory.

"She makes fun of your mother's hope speeches, but it was Regina's words that brought me out of my despair. I fell for her almost instantly. Plus," Mal locked eyes with the younger blonde, "I can assure you that the queen can just as gentle as the mayor."

Emma nodded slowly, absorbing all that Mal just told her.

The dragon tilted her own head a bit and asked "How about you? Do you love her evil half?"

Emma grinned slowly before talking, "Even back when we both hated each other I saw the good in her. She took my son in, gave him the childhood I dreamed of growing up. Even when I learned that all the stories were true, that she really was the Evil Queen, I just couldn't see her like that. I honestly think I started falling for her the moment we met, it just took me too damn long to come to terms with it. So yes," she locked eyes with the other blonde again. "I love Regina, all of Regina."

"So where does that mean for us?"

At Mal's question, the two simply stared at each other. Both could see the worry on the others face, fearing that they could lose their love to the other despite the reassurances they had both received the previous night.

However, neither could see them fighting with the other either. They both loved Regina Mills, the hero and the villain, and that made them respect each other greatly.

Emma opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted once more, this time by a blast of magic being shot over her and Mal's heads. She instinctively reached for the dragon, pulling her down to the ground with her to protect them from the blast.

"Hello, savior."

"Gideon," Emma mumbled under her breath as she and Mal picked themselves up. " _So much for him taking the day off."_ she thought.

"What do you want?" Mal's voice was full of malice.

"Nothing that concerns you dragon. Leave now! This is between me and her." Gideon stepped forward, his infamous sword clutched in his hand.

Mal saw Emma tense at the sight of the sword. She had heard of the other blonde's vision of her own death by that very sword. She was not sure why, but Mal knew she could not leave the sheriff to face this menace alone. That simply was not an option.

"I'm not one for taking orders," Maleficent spoke while placing her hand briefly on Emma's forearm, letting the younger woman know that she was not in a fight unaided.

Emma looked towards Mal not knowing why she was helping her, but being very grateful for her.

Both women locked eyes for a moment and nodded, each knowing what to do. Emma's hand began to glow with her magic, while Mal's eyes began to shine green with her dragon powers rising within her.

Together, the blonde's attacked with their light magic and fire breath. Gideon was forced back by the women's powers, however, he had taken a charm from his father's shop that amplified his powers. With one sharp thrust, he sent out a force of magic so strong it knocked both women off their feet.

They both laid dazed on the ground as Gideon approached with his sword raised. "I will have your powers savior, and now your villainous friend can also share your fate."

Both Emma and Mal shielded themselves with their arms as Gideon started to bring down his weapon on them, but the sword never hit either target.

Two large blasts of purple magic shot out at Gideon, knocking the sword out of his grasp and sent him across the street.

The blondes turned around to see the mayor and the queen rushing to their sides. They had poofed themselves there after getting a sickening feeling that both the dragon and the sheriff were in danger.

The brunette's eyes met in a silent truce as they both helped their lovers to stand.

"Are you both alright?" they asked at the same time.

"Yes," Mal smiled at them, "we are."

"Now," Emma added.

The mayor embraced the sheriff as the queen did the dragon, both sighing in relief that they were unharmed.

Before anymore celebration could be done, however, the brunettes looked past the blondes to see that Gideon had got to his feet once more and was now raising his hand, readying his magic to fire.

Without even thinking, the two of them pushed their lover's out of the way and took the full brunt of the magic being targeted at them. The queen and mayor fell back, hitting their heads on the bench. Neither moved after falling to the hard ground.

Mal and Emma's eyes widened as the noticed blood running down the brunettes foreheads.

"Regina!" they both shouted at once before turning their attention to the hurt who had hurt their lovers. Gideon was already preparing for another attack, though he did not anticipate just how much power the blondes rage would give them.

Light magic and green fire hit him once more, this time though it was enough to send him into the building behind him. The force of the impact causing him to fall to the sidewalk unconscious.

With their enemy fully down, they turned their attention to the brunettes who still remained unmoving, yet still breathing.

"Regina! Angel, wake up!" Emma shook the mayor slightly.

"Open your eyes Poppet! Please, open your eyes for me." Mal said doing the same to the queen.

The blondes looked to each of the brunettes as they both began to flutter their eyes open but neither truly focusing. Emma and Mal smiled down at them still.

"Everything's alright now," Mal said while stroking the queen's hair.

Emma mirrored her action on the mayor. "You guys saved us."

Without even realizing that they were both doing it at the same time, Maleficent and Emma leaned down and kissed their lovers on their lips.

Both jumped back though, as a bright light rippled through the air. Before either knew what was happening, the queen merged back into the mayor's body where she belonged. True love's kiss, or kisses, in this case, making them one once again.

* * *

Regina drifted back into unconsciousness shortly after she and the queen became whole again. Mal and Emma were able to heal her head wound easily, yet they agreed to take her to the hospital to make sure there were no other injuries that they could not see.

As Regina was being tended to, the blondes called the family to tell them what had happened. Mal called Zelena, who she had become close friends with since the redhead's return to Storybrooke, and Emma called Henry and her parents.

Once the calls had been made the two sat next to each other in the waiting room.

"Henry's on his way," Emma spoke, as she turned to the older woman. "Dad's gone to pick up Gideon and Mom's at work so they'll check in later."

Mal nodded, "Zelena won't be coming either. Apparently, Robyn has started to teethe. She asked me to keep her informed on her sister's condition."

After that, the two became silent. Emma let a deep sigh as she leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. She was deeply worried, wondering if Regina was alright. The brunette's eyes had not reopened since she and Mal had healed her, so the sheriff's mind was running with horrible scenarios about her lover's condition.

Mal could not help but notice how Emma had begun tapping her leg nervously, there was no doubt in her mind that the younger woman was thinking the worst. Gently, she reached out to place her hand on Emma's knee, earning the sheriff's attention.

"I'm worried about her too, but we don't need to be." the dragon had a small smile on her face as she spoke. "Regina is too damn stubborn to die this easily."

Despite the situation, Emma couldn't help but giggle. "That's for sure," she then put her hand over Mal's and squeezed it in thanks.

Mal, instinctively, turned her hand over to lace her fingers with Emma' two looked at each other and found themselves lost in the eyes of the other. They were surprised to find no awkwardness in each others stare. Instead, they both saw comfort and understanding. Yet, they both felt fear. Neither knew what any of this meant for their respected relationships.

They continued to hold hands until they heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, they both saw Whale standing in front of them and both were on their feet instantly.

"How is she?" they both asked at once.

What looked between the blondes strangely before speaking. "She's fine. There was nothing left of her head injury after you both healed her. I imagined her mind just slipped back into unconsciousness to recuperate after the fight and merging with queen again. Other than that all she has is a hairline fracture on her wrist from the fall. She wanted to heal it herself when she woke up but I told her to wait for one of you to do it so it won't take away from her strength."

"When can she leave." Mal knew how much Regina had detested going to healers in the Enchanted Forest. She couldn't imagine she enjoyed hospitals any better.

"Soon. We just need to get her paperwork in order and she's free to go."

"Can we see her?" Despite Whale's reassurances Emma wanted desperately to see for herself that Regina was truly okay.

Whale gestured for the woman to follow him before leading them to Regina's room before leaving to fill out the brunette's release papers.

The blondes entered the room to see their lover sitting up in bed, holding her right wrist gently. She smiled when she saw them walk in.

"How are you feeling Poppet?" Mal asked softly as she stopped at the foot of the bed while Emma went to sit next to the mayor's hip facing her.

"I'm fine, I promise." Regina's face turned unsteady as she looked between the blonde's. "How are the two of you?" she asked cautiously.

Emma glanced back at Mal before answering, "We're fine. More worried about you to be honest. Let me see your hand, Angel."

Regina placed her wrist in the sheriff's gentle grasp. She could feel light magic flowing through her hand. After a few moments, Regina flexed her wrist and was rather relieved to feel no pain.

"Thank you." she smiled at Emma who nodded in return.

The room went silent after that. None of the women were quite sure what to say. Regina for one was internally freaking out. With the queen now part of her again, she was terrified of the possibility of having to choose between the other two women.

The silence was broken when the door swung open. Henry hurried into the room and to his mother's side opposite of Emma.

"Mom! Are you okay? Ma said you got hurt."

"I'm fine Henry," she smiled up at her son. "Thanks to your mother and Mal's magic."

Henry's shoulders sagged with relief as he returned the smile "I'm glad you're okay. So...you and the queen? Is it true?"

Regina tensed at her son's question. Her mind raced with memories of a ten-year-old boy who looked at her with hatred in his eyes.

Emma must have read Regina's expression because she reached over and squeezed her hand comfortably. When the brunette glanced at her she gave a short, encouraging nod.

Regina understood, but still looked worried as she answered her son. "Yes, Henry. She and I are now one again. I...I hope you're okay with this."

Henry simply shrugged, "It's not like I ever fully hated her. I didn't like that she was threatening grandma and grandpa, but it's like I told you before, you're not a villain, you're my mom."

The mayor's eye glistened with unshed tears as she heard her son speak. She relaxed further when Henry wrapped his arms around her, hugging his mother.

Emma smiled at the sight and placed her hand on her son's back as she leaned over to kiss him on the head. She was so proud of how had grown over the last six years.

Maleficent felt tears in her eyes as well, yet it was for a much different reason. She remained standing at the foot of the hospital bed, watching on as the small family embraced. Her heart broke as a single thought passed through her mind. " _I'm not a part of this."_

She quickly wiped her eyes before clearing her throat. "Well, now that I see that you're alright Regina, I think I will be heading home for the night."

Regina raised her head to look at the older blonde. "You...you don't have to Mal. You know you're free to stay as long as you want." She tried to keep her voice even as she spoke, as she was actually dreading the idea of Mal walking out that door. She was worried that the dragon might not come back.

Mal waved her hand dismissively, "It's been a long day for us all and I can use some rest. I'll call Zelena for you later and tell her you're okay. Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow to check on you," she talked while avoiding Regina's gaze, knowing her tears would surely return if she did.

As she reached the door she turned to look at Emma, "Take care of her."

"I will." the younger blonde said in a soft, yet serious tone. Emma was tempted to ask Mal to stay as well, she just was not sure whether she would be saying it on Regina's behalf or her own.

Maleficent walked out of the hospital room and made it onto the street outside before her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She quickly poofed herself to her home before the tears finally spilled down her face.

When Mal left the room Henry spoke up, turning to his mothers, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing for you to worry about my little prince," Regina spoke with a small, forced, smile for her son's sake, but inside she was falling apart.

Once again, Emma was able to read through Regina. She could tell the brunette was barely holding it together. "Come on, let's go see if Whale has those forms ready yet. I think we should all get home and get some rest."

Henry left first saying he would go wait in the bug which, he drove to the hospital. Being able to drive the bug had been Regina's least favorite thing about their son getting his license.

The women both stood as their son left the room. However, before she even took a step, Regina reached out for Emma who she took in her arms. Regina kissed her deeply, needing to feel the love from the sheriff after she saw the older blonde walk out the room.

"I love you," she murmured in the sheriff's ear.

"I love you too," Emma brought her hand up to run it through Regina's hair to try to sooth her as they separated. She tried to smile reassuringly at the mayor, but Regina's spirit sank a little further as she could tell Emma's heart was not in it.

"Come on," Emma prompted as pecked her on the cheek and wrapped her arm around her lover's waist. "Let's get you home," and Regina allowed herself to be led out of the room.

* * *

They drove home in mostly silence. Henry was the first to speak, asking his parents if it was still okay for him to spend the night at Violet's like he had already planned. Both women quickly agreed, knowing that they would be better off having space to talk when they got home.

As they walked through their front door Emma grabbed Regina by the hand and led her into the living room, gesturing for her to sit on the sofa. "You sure you're feeling okay? No soreness or anything?"

"I'm fine Baby, I promise I am." Regina tugged on the hand still in hers, bringing Emma down to sit beside her. "You don't have to worry about me."

"I know," the blonde mumbled quietly as she laid her head on the mayor's shoulder. "To be honest, I'm actually more worried about something else right now…"

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma, holding her tightly against her. "I love you, Emma. You know having the queen back inside of me doesn't change that right?"

"I do" she pulled back from the brunette's arms to look at her. "I know you will always love me Regina, but I saw your face when Mal left earlier. You were heart broken. You might be happy being with me, but I know there's a large part of you that is scared of losing Mal forever. And that means that something needs to change for us."

"What are you saying?" Regina's voice shook as she whispered out the question.

Emma stood and took a deep breath, "I'm not totally sure what I'm saying, but I think we need a little time to figure it out. I….um I think I should stay with my parents tonight."

"No!" Regina practically jumped to her feet with a pleading look on her face. "Emma no. Please, Baby, don't leave me, not after…" she trailed off, not knowing if mentioning Maleficent again would help her situation.

"Hey, hey, calm down," Emma said soothingly as she reached out to place her hands on the mayor's cheeks and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm not leaving you, Angel. Not permanently anyway. I told you a long time ago, I couldn't break up with you even if I wanted to, it would kill me...I just think we need a little time to clear our heads and think about what this means for us, _all_ of us."

Emma didn't voice it, but part of the reason she wanted to be alone was to think about Maleficent, as well as Regina. The look that the dragon gave her at the hospital still lingered in her mind. She had no idea what that meant.

Regina wanted desperately to fight Emma on this, to beg her to stay. The last thing she wanted was to watch as another lover walked away from her. However, she knew this was one battle she was not going to win and part of her also knew that Emma was right. They did need to consider everything that had happened that day.

"Very well." Regina straightened her posture, doing her best to put her 'mayor mask' on. "Will you be needing anything from upstairs?"

Emma was still able to see past the mask, yet she decided to let it go given the circumstances. "No, I still got some stuff at the apartment."

Regina nodded and escorted Emma to the door, opening it for her.

Emma turned back to her and kissed her briefly, yet lovingly, before stepping outside. "I'll call you sometime tomorrow, Regina. I love you."

Regina nodded once again and gave the blonde a small smile, she did not trust her voice enough to speak.

She watched from the front door as the second woman who had stolen her heart got into her bug and drove off. Regina slowly closed the door and leaned against it. Suddenly, her knees began to shake as tears began to flow from her deep brown eyes. She slid down to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs, and began to sob harder than she had in a long time...since Daniel died. Even though neither blonde had broken up with her, a large part of her still feared that this could be the end.

Meanwhile, Emma arrived at her parent's apartment but could not bring herself to move from the bug just yet. The sadness on Regina's face as she left haunted her mind. Tears had clouded her vision on the short drive over and it took several minutes to get them to slow down after she parked.

Once she wiped the wetness from her face she reached for her phone and brought up a number she had rarely used.

" _We need to talk. Meet me tomorrow at Granny's?"_

It was not long until she got a reply.

" _I'll be there."_

Emma sighed, hoping that by the next day the three of them could figure something out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Regina could not sleep at all that night. Every time she closed her eyes she saw both her lovers walking away from her and she would begin to cry all over again.

When morning finally arrived, Regina found herself sitting at her kitchen island with a mug of coffee in her hands. " _If I don't make a decision soon I could lose both of them."_ she thought with a deep sigh.

As she sat, she tried to imagine her life without either woman. Just the idea of choosing one over the other made her feel sick.

Regina sat up a straighter as she heard the front door open. As soon as Henry walked into the house he was hit with the smell of coffee and he immediately knew where to find his mother.

"Hey mom." he leaned down to kiss his mother on the cheek before sitting opposite of her.

"Good morning Henry." Seeing him gave Regina her first genuine smile she's had since Mal left the hospital room. "How was your evening?"

"Pretty good. Spent most of the night introducing Violet to The Legend of Zelda."

"How'd that go?"

"She said it was okay but, it reminded her too much of Camelot," he giggled, "She asked if I could teach her how to play Pokemon next time. She thinks Pikachu's cute."

"She's right. Although if I remember correctly you preferred Squirtle when you were younger." She smiled at the memory of four-year-old Henry falling asleep while holding on to his stuffed Pokemon doll.

"Still do." Henry grinned. "Sooo, um…" his face fell a little, not knowing exactly how to ask what he wanted to. "How are you doing? With the queen, I mean. You okay with her being with you again?"

The mayor was actually taken slightly aback by the question. "I really haven't thought about it that much," she shrugged.

With so much that had happened in the past 24 hours, her being bound to the queen again was the least of her worries, especially since Henry had stated that he was okay with it. She supposed though, that she was rather glad to have the queen back with her. With the queen came the new memories of her with Maleficent over the past few weeks. She would not trade that for anything.

"What do you mean you haven't...Wait. Where's Ma? She still asleep?"

It was such an innocent question, yet it made Regina's whole body tense. For a few moments, she stayed quiet, trying to think how best to discuss the situation with her son.

"No. She decided to spend the night with your grandparents." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What? Why? Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"Not exactly…" she was still not sure how to explain everything to him.

Henry sat confused before realization dawned on him seconds later. "Does it have anything to do with Maleficent? Why she was with you guys at the hospital yesterday?"

Regina took a deep sigh then nodded her head while averting her eyes from her son's.

"So the rumors I've been hearing about her and the queen are true then?"

"Yes," she whispered so low that Henry could barely hear her. Questions of fear ran through her mind. " _Will he hate me again? Will he think I never loved Emma? That it was all an act?"_

"Okay."

Regina at silently turning to look son questionably and blinked several times before speaking. "That's it?"

"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "I mean, it's not like you were cheating on Ma. Plus, Mal's pretty cool. I like her."

"You do?" her voice was a mix of surprise and hope.

"Yeah. It's not everyone who can say that they know someone who can change into every kid's favorite mythical creature." he paused when he heard his mom chuckle. "And she maaaay have taken me flying once or twice."

"She what?!"

"Calm down, it was my idea and we were both careful. Besides, a few quick laps around the town are nothing compared to surviving Neverland."

Regina frowned in spite of her son's logic, but she decided not to argue any further.

"So, what are you going to do?" Henry asked carefully.

"I don't know Henry," she mumbled as her gazed drifted downward once again. Her heart knew exactly what she would like to do about the situation. She was just very doubtful that the blondes would be okay with the idea.

Henry reached across the island and placed his hand on him mom's wrist to get her attention. "Try not to worry too much Mom. You'll figure it out, you always do. Just follow your heart and do what feels right."

Regina rolled her eyes, "God, you're starting to sound more and more like your grandmother."

Henry smiled at her teasing, "Can't help it, it's in my blood."

"Don't remind me," she smirked, her mood had dramatically improved. She was so thankful to have a son like Henry, he always knew what to say to lift her spirits.

Henry laughed as he stood up, "I'm gonna go meet Violet for breakfast at Granny's. Just had to come by and grab my backpack."

"You could call her to come over if you want. I could make you both something to eat."

"I know, but I also know you need some more time to think."

Regina nodded and looked her son straight in the eye, "Would you really be okay if Maleficent became a part of our family?"

The boy nodded, "I just want you all to be happy."

Regina stood up to hug her son, "Thank you, Henry."

Henry immediately returned the embrace, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, my little prince." She let go of her son who grabbed his backpack by the front door before leaving the house.

Once Henry left, Regina sat back down to finish her coffee, using her magic to reheat it. She was weighing the pros and cons of what she was thinking. In the end, she knew she would be risking everything by suggesting her solution to Mal and Emma, but she also knew that this is what her heart truly wanted.

After she placed her mug in the dishwasher she leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. She silently prayed that the blondes would be open to her idea.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Regina finally summed up the courage to call Emma and Maleficent to ask them to come over that night to talk. She had texted Henry earlier asking him to spend the night with either his grandparents or Violet again, knowing that they would need privacy once the blondes arrived.

She became even more nervous once she called Emma and the sheriff told her that she and Mal were together and had been talking all day. Both the blondes agreed to come over, telling her that they had something to talk about too. She was scared to death that the other two would ask her to choose between them.

Regina paced the foyer of her home, waiting for her lovers to arrive. She walked over to the mirror that hung on her wall for what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon, wanting to make sure she looked her best.

It had taken her an hour before she had called Emma to decide what to wear. She had finally decided on a pair of jeans, that she only ever wore at home or when she went out to play with Henry when he was younger, and a red v-neck shirt.

She thought about wearing something more glamorous, but she also wanted to feel as comfortable as possible for the conversation that she was about to endure. Plus, she remembered both her lovers stating that they thought she never looked more lovely than when she was relaxing at home. Remembering them both saying that had brought a smile to Regina's face.

Logically, she knew it was just her own nervousness making her question her outfit further, but that did not make her stop trying to smooth out her hair and straighten her shirt twenty times.

The mayor was so on edge she nearly jumped when she heard Emma's bug pull up in her driveway. She went to the window and looked out to see both blondes getting out of the car. How Emma convinced Mal to ride in that thing was beyond her.

Regina stood up straight and took one last deep calming breath before the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find her lovers standing side by side. Emma wearing her signature red leather jacket with a white t-shirt and jeans and Mal wore a dark blue sweater with black colored jeans she had also let her long hair down instead of her usually pinning it up. Apparently, they both wanted to be comfortable during this talk as well. They also had unsure looks on their faces. Needless to say, those looks did not help to calm Regina down.

"Thank you both for coming." she stepped aside for the blondes to enter before closing the door behind them.

"No problem," Emma shrugged, "Like I said we both have something to talk to you about too."

"Right," the brunette did her best to put on a polite smile even though she knew both of the other women would be able to see through it.

"Well then, let's go into the study and I'll get us all drinks then we can talk."

The other two women followed behind Regina as she led them into the room, each sat down on the couch while the brunette poured them all a glass of her famous cider. Once Regina sat down in the chair opposite of the couch Maleficent began to speak.

"Regina, love, Emma and I have been talking for the better part of the day and we both have come to an agreement…"

"Mal, please wait," Regina interrupted, "I know you can both tell how anxious I am about this conversation, no matter how hard I try to hide it. So please let me say what I need to before I lose my nerve?"

When she received a nod from both women she took a sip of her cider before continuing.

"First, I want to apologize to you both. I never meant to cause either of you so much stress."

"You have nothing to apologize for Poppet."

"Yeah Regina, neither of us are angry with you."

"I appreciate you both saying that," their words did help her confidence, but only slightly. "But that does not mean that there isn't a decision to be made."

She paused briefly when she noticed Emma and Mal exchange worried looks.

"I couldn't sleep last night because every time I closed my eyes I would see the two of you walking away from me."

"Regina…"

"Please Emma, both of you, just let me finish?" she was again met with two nods.

"This morning I tried imagining my life without either of you in it and…every time the thought just made my heart break in two. I love you both with all of my soul. Even when the queen and I were separated, we both still loved the two of you." She sat her drink down before she went to stand before the sheriff and dragon, fidgeting with her hands nervously.

"I know that the two of you are waiting for me to choose between you...but I can't. Mal, my cariña, you were my light when nothing was surrounding me but darkness. I only wish that I wasn't so blinded by my own selfishness to realize just how much you truly meant to me. I also wish that I had been brave enough back then to thank you for your teachings, your patience, and most of all for your love. And Emma, Baby, you gave me the greatest gift of all, our son. It took me awhile to accept not being Henry's only mother, but I honestly don't know how I would have survived these last few years without you. You believed in me during a time when I hardly believed in myself, and that helped give me the strength to fight the darkness that had consumed me for so long."

As she spoke, both the blondes eyes glistened with unshed tears while Regina already had some pouring down her cheeks. Slowly, Regina sank down onto her knees in front of her lovers. Her hands reached out to hold each of her lover's and she held them closer to her.

"I don't deserve either of you, much less both of you, but I _need_ to have you both in my life. So please, don't make me choose one of you over the other because I can't, not without ripping out my own heart. I…I want…" Regina's lips were trembling with fear of the rejection she thought would come. She tilted her head down, not having the courage to look her lovers in the eye.

"I...I beg of you to consider allowing me to continue to be with you both."

Regina brought both Emma and Mal's hands together to place a kiss of their knuckles at once as more tears fell, her lips still trembled as she spoke.

"I know...that neither of you feels the same about each other, but could you please consider being in a relationship? All three of us? If not, I...I under...I understand...but pl...please don't make me choose." Her eyes closed and her body heaved with soft sobs as she finished.

A few quiet moments pass until she felt a hand beneath her chin, prompting her to look up. By the small touch alone she could tell that it was Maleficent's. She raised her head and was surprised when she saw both women smiling down at her. Her breath was still shaky as both women reached out to wipe her tears away.

"Oh, my dear Regina. We would never make you choose between us." Maleficent spoke softly as she ran her free hand through Regina's dark tresses.

The brunette sniffled, trying to get her tears to completely stop, "Really?"

"Really." Emma moved over on the couch just enough so that she and Mal could pull Regina up to sit between them. They were quick to hold Regina's hand once again after she sat down, their other arms went around the brunette's back. "Mal and I both know how much you love us Angel, and we love you too much to ever force you to make a decision like that."

"Which goes back to what we were trying to tell you Poppet. Emma and I met at Granny's earlier today and after talking for some time...well, we came to the same conclusion that you did my love."

Mal and Emma both smiled larger when they saw the brunette's eyes go wide. "You did?"

"Yes, we did." Emma leaned over to place a small kiss on Regina's temple. "We would try just about anything for you."

Regina smiled as she relaxed into both her lovers arms, "So you would both be okay with being in a relationship with each other?" she asks looking at them, her eyes full of hope.

Mal nodded, "Yes. We both admitted that we've found each other attractive for a while now, however, neither of us acknowledged it. We also respect each other greatly, if nothing else because we know the other would stop at nothing to ensure your safety and happiness." she squeezed Regina's hand gently.

"Besides," Emma spoke up, prompting the other two to look at her. "It kinda figure's we would fall for each other too. Mal and I have already had a fight to the death and I know you and I used to dream of doing that when we first met." Emma smirked and playfully pinched Regina's side.

Regina briefly pulled away as she and Mal laughed.

"I love you both so much!" the brunette leaned in to kiss Emma's lips before pulling away to do the same to Maleficent.

She smiled brighter when the blondes leaned over her to kiss each other as well. It was too early for either of them to say that they loved the other, yet, neither could deny the passion that stirred within them during the kiss.

Emma and Mal took a moment to look at each other and smiled before leaning in to kiss Regina on her cheeks, making her giggle.

"There's just one last thing we need to talk about," Emma spoke.

"What's that?"

"Well, we thought since this is new for all of us that we should just keep it under wraps for now. Like you and I did in the beginning."

"Does that sound agreeable to you Poppet?" Mal asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind the mayor's ear.

Both blondes chuckled as the brunette nodded eagerly. They were not promising her forever, not yet anyway, but it's a start and she could not wait to see where this new relationship leads them.

"Good. Then, for now, this will be just between us, the kid, and Lily."

"Henry sort of already knows," Regina smirked as Emma raised her brow.

"What?"

"He came by earlier and could tell something was bothering me. It didn't take him long to figure out that it was about the three of us."

"What…" Mal's voice only revealed the slightest hint of her nervousness, "What did he say about us possibly being together?"

Regina squeezed the dragon's hand "He said that he just wanted us to be happy, _all_ of us and that he would be fine with you becoming a part of our family."

Maleficent breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she had the support of her lovers son. She only hoped that Lily would also be okay with her mother's new relationship.

Her face must have been easy enough to read because Emma let go of Regina's hand and reached over to put her hand on Mal's knee. "Don't worry about Lily. She'll be just as happy for you as Henry is for us. She told me a while ago that she's just glad that she has you in her life. I don't think she'll care about anything else, especially not over who you choose to love."

"Thank you." she whispered to Emma with a grateful smile.

"Speaking of our children, though, I would like to ask you something Mal." Regina's voice was more strong than it had been all evening.

"What is it?"

"What made you think taking my son flying around the town without my permission was a good thing?"

Mal shifted nervously at being caught, "Now Regina, you know I would never let any harm come to the boy. Besides," she then smirked playfully, "I may not have had _your_ permission, but…" she trailed off and nodded towards the other blonde.

Regina turned toward Emma only to see her biting her lip and averting her gaze. "Emma!"

The sheriff looked at her sheepishly, "Well...it sounded like he would have fun. You know I have trouble saying no to him."

Regina glared at her for a moment before laughing, "Now I'm going to have to keep an eye on both of you around him."

The other two joined in the laughter then Regina turned to lean further back into Maleficent's arms while pulling Emma into her own.

"Thank you, both," her voice going quiet once again, "for giving this a chance...You don't know what it means to me." The mayor's cheeks tinted pink.

The blondes kissed her on her cheeks again, both thinking of how adorable she looked in that moment. Mal ran her fingers through Regina's dark hair while her other hand held onto Emma's. The three sat there, snuggled up against each other in comfortable silence for several minutes.

"So," Emma spoke up, "what do you guys want to do for the rest of the night?"

"I could make us all something to eat and then maybe a movie night?"

"That sounds good to me." Mal slowed her movements through Regina's hair. "As long as it's not one of those dreadful Disney movies," she said making all three of them laugh once again.

* * *

Later that night, Emma, Regina, and Maleficent found themselves cuddled up together on Regina's sofa in her living room. It had taken a little while for the other two to convince Mal that Star Wars was not like other movies owned by Disney and that she would like it.

As the credits rolled Mal turned to her girlfriends, "Okay, you were both right. I did enjoy it. Although I don't think I could ever imagine flying in a spaceship with a giant walking fur ball."

"Hey, don't talk bad about Chewy!" Emma shot the dragon a mock glare, "He's my favorite."

"He's Henry's favorite as well." the brunette commented, "Although I was always more fond of Leia."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Regina squirmed away when Mal tickled her side.

"Like you weren't just practically drooling over her too." the mayor countered.

Mal just shrugged and avoided the topic, "The little blue and white thing was cute as well."

Emma giggled at the other two before moving away to stretch her arms, "You guys ready for bed?"

When Mal and Regina nodded all three headed upstairs to the bed that Emma and Regina had shared for the last few months. Both knew there would be plenty of room for their new third party. The brunette especially was looking forward to sharing her bed with both of her lovers on the same night. The thought made a bright smile grace her features.

Once in the room, all of them used their magic to change into their favorite sleepwear. Regina wore her blue silk nightie with darker blue boyshorts, Emma had on her tank top and boxers, and Mal wore her Spike shirt and purple panties.

The sheriff couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her when she saw what the dragon was wearing as the three sat close together on the bed with Mal in the middle. "My Little Pony? You didn't strike me as the type to like that kinda stuff."

"I don't. Poppet gave it to me." Mal smirked at Regina who blushed.

"Seriously?" Emma asked with a raised brow and a smirk of her own.

"Yes, although she has never told me why she enjoyed the cartoon so much."

"I don't." Regina tried to bluff. "I just thought it was a cute shirt for you."

"That may be, my love, but those adorable pink cheeks of yours tell me there's more to that explanation," Mal said while tapping said cheeks.

"So does my superpower. Come on Gina, you know neither of us will laugh at you."

"You just laughed at the shirt." the brunette accused.

"Yeah…" Emma scratched the back of her neck, "but in my defense, I wasn't expecting the big bad dragon to be wearing a shirt with a little purple baby one on it." She turned back to look at said dragon. "Although it is super cute on you."

"Thank you, Darling."

Emma smiled at the term before both she and Mal turned back to Regina whose face still held a blushing tint and waited for her to answer them.

Regina sighed and resigned herself to her fate as she started talking. "You both know I was fond of horses as a child. Whenever I was alone I would often imagine living in a world surrounded by them. In all of my fantasies, the horses could talk to me while we played. I would even imagine some of them having magic strong enough to battle my mother's. So when I first discovered the show...it was like my favorite childhood memories had been put onto a screen for me to see. It was quite comforting to me."

All the time she was talking she turned her head away from the blondes. She only looked back when she felt Emma stretch her arm out across Mal to cup Regina's cheek to turn her towards them. "That is the most adorable thing I've ever heard Regina." She smiled at the brunette and stroked her cheek before lowering her hand.

"That was a beautiful story, Poppet. Perhaps in the morning, you could introduce us to the show."

"But I thought you said that cartoons were mind numbing when I gave you that shirt. You said you only wore it because it was comfortable."

"True," the dragon nodded, "but that was before I knew it meant so much to you. I'd be more than willing to watch it if you wanted me to."

"Ditto. I'm more of a Scooby person, but who knows, I might like watching it. From what I've heard the rainbow one seems pretty badass."

Regina smiled widely at her lovers "You two really are the most perfect people in the world."

"We think the same about you Angel." Emma leaned forward to kiss Regina passionately.

When she pulled away Maleficent moved to kiss Regina as well. The blondes then locked eyes before sharing the second kiss in their relationship.

Emma hummed happily as they pulled away, "I think I could get used to this new arrangement if it means I get to kiss two hot women like that every day."

"I believe I can as well." Mal leaned over to kiss the sheriff on the cheek. "Now, let's all get some rest, we've all had a long day."

They all crawled under the soft sheets, Regina immediately laid her head on Mal's shoulder, snuggling into her side. Emma moved to do the same, but then hesitated not knowing if the other blonde would be okay with it. She smiled and relaxed when she felt the dragon rub her back, encouraging her to mimic Regina.

Regina spoke when both she and Emma were settled against the dragon, sleep already in her voice. "I love you both so much."

"We love you too. Sweet dreams Regina, Emma." Maleficent placed a small kiss on the crown of each of her girlfriend's heads, making them both smile softly.

"Good night." Emma closed her eyes, but then opened them only a moment later. "Just one last question Regina."

"What's that Baby?"

"I'll never be able to get away with calling you 'Poppet' will I?"

"Oh Hell no." the mayor mumbled and closed her eyes as the other two giggled.

As sleep overtook them Regina thought that she had finally gotten what she had wanted most of all. She got her happy ending.


End file.
